Drummer, Producer, Mixer

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Matt Johnson is on SoundBetter! Matt Johnson was a huge inspiration in my formative years (played drums with Jeff Buckley and played on the landmark album 'Grace'. More recently Matt has played with St Vincent). I was really inspired to see he was offering his work on here!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both... Analog technology brings some beautiful artefacts to recorded audio but the convenience of digital can really help to streamline a workflow.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: "Should I record to a click?" In most instances, yes. it will make everything easier to edit and when you're overdubbing any additional parts it will help in many aspects, including bar references for edits or even changing the arrangement down the line.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: There are SO many options available. There is a constantly shifting triangle of cost, quality and timeframe with these sorts of things, so consider what budget you're willing to work with and try and get somebody on board who really inspires you and you feel like you have a connection with. Then ask some questions to align your expectations on what you realistically feel can be brought to the table within a given timeframe.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been playing drums for over 20 years (yikes!). I started by playing in bands then went to university in 2007 and obtained a degree in music - I then went on to play as a session drummer for artists and work in studios as an engineer and eventually help produce artists. These days I tend to meld these roles in to one and offer any help I can with an artist/band working on their music.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Gain staging. Think about your headroom!

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I tend to work on music in the alternative side of things, Americana, Soul, Indie, Electronic are just some of the directions I tend to work a lot with.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: We are our own worst critics. I don't really settle for anything less than what I think is great work. I have worked as a studio engineer as well as a musician for over a decade so know how to get the most out of the equipment I work with.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I tend to spend some time familiarising with the music in hand and think about light references and sounds I want to introduce to the piece. I then tend to swap out bits of equipment in my studio, whether that be drums, snares, cymbals or patching in pieces of outboard. I then sit down with the track and hit record almost immediately, and start to comp through the piece on whatever I'm recording. After maybe a handful of takes I will then sit down and revise where I am and which parts are or aren't working, I then go back to record a few more passes then hopefully I am at a point where I can start comping the final take and giving it a light mix as I see fit.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: In 2018 I was able to fund building of a studio facility on the side of my house. I employed a studio designer 'Barny Barnicott' to help me achieve a balanced and inspiring working environment, despite the limited space. The room is modest and I am constantly learning different ways to work with the space. I have been investing in equipment constantly over the last 10 years, so it's a pleasure to have a space where I can leave things setup and continue experimenting with different techniques.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Swedish artist Sven Wunder, American producer/artist Leon Michels, Daptone in-house drummer Homer Steinweiss, Sam Evian, Finnish brothers 'The Gentleman Losers', are among some of my biggest current influences.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I tend to primarily work delivering drum stems for tracks that artists/producers/bands are developing. They usually send over a version with guide/demo drums and/or a separate drumless version and I will help them elevate the music with experience and equipment I have available to me at my studio.